Sunday, February 5, 2012

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!

There is still, however, a reluctance for many to come out. “Other than [Stark] we know of at least two dozen other atheists in Congress that just aren’t willing to admit it,” says Speckhardt, a number almost identical to that given to me by Silverman. “They feel that it will be political suicide for them, that they wouldn’t get re-elected or they couldn’t get any of their bills passed. We’ve got to work hard to change that feeling out there.”

Article includes comments from atheists who feel isolated in their communities, who were not judged as harshly for things you might think society in general would be less tolerant of (deservedly or not), and is a reminder that we are still a reviled minority. (On the internet, it's much easier to feel like a part of a large community of compassionate, clever comrades.)